Staying Power

Four-star Hotel at UMD, Restaurants Open

The Hotel at the University of Maryland officially opened its doors on Friday, ushering in not only guests but also a new era in luxury accommodations in College Park.

With 297 guest rooms, conference and meeting rooms, four restaurants and a spa, the Hotel is the only four-star hotel in the city. Located across from the main entrance to the University of Maryland, it’s the anchor of Greater College Park, the public-private partnership to revitalize the community as a vibrant hub of academics, downtown amenities and startup businesses.

The 10-story Hotel, developed by longtime university supporter David Hillman’s Southern Management Corp., and restaurants created more than 400 jobs and represents an investment of more than $180 million.

Here, take a virtual tour of the Hotel and its partner restaurants:

The grand lobby features tall ceilings, cozy furnishings and a striking artwork called “Blackwater,” by sculptor Rodney Carroll. Made of stainless steel and copper nickel, it depicts the Chesapeake Bay’s tidal salt marshes that blur land and water.

The Lobby Bar includes lots of comfy chairs and couches, tables and nooks for meeting with friends.

The 10th-story penthouse event space offers views of the campus and beyond, and is expected to be a popular spot for wedding receptions and other top-tier gatherings.

The Hotel offers a fitness center, pool and open-air “zen” garden terrace on its fourth floor. An Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa will open a 5,200-square-foot facility there in early 2018, serving the public as well as hotel guests.

Sleek standard guest rooms average 450 square feet, and feature UMD football artwork. The Hotel also includes 21 studio suites, five one-bedroom suites and three “signature” suites.

The Hotel boasts 43,000 square feet of meeting space, including five meeting rooms, three ballrooms, two boardrooms and the penthouse loft.

Meeting and event spaces, such as the Crossland Ballroom, honor Maryland people and traditions. These include the Terrapin and Calvert ballrooms, Diamondback andWright Brothers board rooms and Francis Scott Key, Jim Henson ’60 and Harriet Tubman meeting rooms.

The Hotel was designed to LEED Gold standards, showing a commitment to sustainability. Among the environmentally conscious features are energy-efficient lighting and lavatory faucets, toilets, urinals and showerheads; a rainwater collection and treatment system for irrigation; and a green roof.

The stainless steel sculpture on the landing of the escalator area is called “Mermaid’s Purse,” artist Rodney Carroll’s interpretation of the egg sack of a ray-like fish called a skate, indigenous to the Chesapeake Bay estuary.

Old Maryland Grill focuses on classic and contemporary Maryland cuisine. The menu features crab, oysters, Eastern Shore fried chicken and even the official state dessert, Smith Island cake. It’s owned by Mike Franklin, founder of popular Franklins Restaurant, Brewpub and General Store in nearby Hyattsville. Maryland wines and beers are also showcased among 24 brews on tap.

The whimsical mural spanning a wall in the Old Maryland Grill is called “Maryland Pride” by Michael Birawer and features points of interest from across the state, including the Annapolis waterfront, downtown Baltimore, Ocean City’s beach and even the university and Franklins in Hyattsville.

The lush new Kapnos Taverna, created by well-known D.C. chef Mike Isabella, will serve up a modern take on Greek cuisine when it opens later this month. George Pagonis, the executive chef and partner at Kapnos, Kapnos Taverna and Kapnos Kouzina competed on season 12 of the Bravo TV series “Top Chef.”

Potomac Pizza and its neighboring new storefront Bagels ’n Grinds are owned by restaurateur Adam Greenberg, whose wife, Courtney, is a Terp. This fourth franchise features sandwiches, wings and pasta along with New York-style pizza and a huge array of photos from UMD history. Greenberg says he’s already started meeting with student groups in hopes of supporting their fundraisers. “We’re super excited to be part of your community.”

Bagels ‘n Grinds has a glass-enclosed, $50,000 water treatment facility right on site. Diners can watch the 10-step process of baking 16 varieties every day before dining in the cozy restaurant, with a fireplace, cozy chairs and even a semi-private meeting room. The restaurant also offers a menu of sandwiches, soups and salads, plus plenty of baked goods.

The Maryland state flag’s design appears atop the glass canopy over the Hotel’s main entrance. In the background is a new 850-car parking garage.